salvēte, amīcī et sodālēs! I do apologize again that there wasn’t a post yesterday … as I mentioned on Tuesday, that was a truly hectic day, and I seem to be recovering from a minor case of Something That’s Going Around. No serious symptoms; I’ve just been tired and a bit under the weather, and our continuing extreme heat here in my face-to-face teaching world hasn’t helped. The school is an old building, built long before the days of air conditioning, so it’s designed to stay as cool as possible in hot weather. Still, when it’s over 95 degrees every day (and usually well over 95), those window-unit air conditioners can only do so much. Our students have been tired and frustrated from the heat, too, and that’s probably helped to drain my energy.
My Latin I students just took their first “real” test yesterday; I’ve glanced at them, but need to make detailed marks this morning. We’ve not made much use of the Tres Columnae Project materials yet, but I expect to be assigning particular stories and exercises as “homework options” for those who need extra practice with particular pieces of Knowledge or Skill. We’ll also be using the materials more in class over the next few days, and I’ll give you a full report about that. Even as the creator of these materials, I sometimes find it hard to step out of my comfort zone of “The Textbook” and the well-polished procedures and approaches I’ve used for so many years. So I can certainly understand if any of you lectōrēs fidēlissimī are feeling hesitant, too. When we roll out Version Beta, I’m hoping that the new look and feel – and the additional features – will help to overcome not only your hesitations, but also mine.
quid respondētis, amīcī?
- Do you find it hard to stray from “what I’ve always done” or “what I usually do” even when you know or believe it’s the right time to do that?
- What strategies have you employed to make these transitions easier?
Tune in next time, when we may just see a Tres Columnae Project story about this very issue. For those American readers who will be starting school next week, I wish you a safe and happy holiday weekend as you enjoy your “last few days of freedom,” and for those who (like me) have been “back in harness” for a while, I also wish you a relaxing, happy, and much-needed break this weekend. intereā, grātiās maximās omnibus iam legentibus et respondentibus.
Joyful Latin Learning -- Tres Columnae 